Marcus Trescothick resembled some vast, flannelled mother hen here. He scored his 57th century and then beamed with pride as Tom Abell and Tom Cooper made their first hundreds in championship cricket.
Careers, even epochs, brushed lightly against each other in the gorgeous Somerset sunshine. Trescothick, soon to be 40, is coming to the end of a glorious career – though he has signed a fresh one-year deal.
Abell, his opening partner, is only 21 and has just signed a four-year contract. Cooper is unlikely to play for Somerset again after this season. The Australian, who plays for Holland and is 28, will have to be considered as an overseas player if he returns next year. He is good, an uninhibited strokemaker who scatters fields. But he is not that good.
Besides, Somerset’s need is for a run machine-cum-captain who will carry the flame once Trescothick finally does call time. Chris Rogers has been mentioned as a possibility and Somerset have done well with Australians. Justin Langer, Jamie Cox, Steve Waugh, Greg Chappell spring to mind, and Sammy Woods to go farther back.
Trescothick said: “I was just the warm-up act for the celebrations today. I woke up the crowd for what was to follow. It was as big a celebration as I’ve heard when Tom [Abell] got his hundred and I could hear the changing room as much as I’ve ever heard it because everyone was so delighted for Tom.
“I try to give him as much help as I can but he looks after himself. He doesn’t need a lot of telling what to do. It gives me great pleasure to see the next generation of the team coming through, with Lewis Gregory and the Overtons, as well as Tom. The team is in good hands with the next generation.”
Abell said: ”It’s been a little while coming. But I feel delighted, relieved and pretty ecstatic to have got there. There have been a few times when I haven’t managed to do it. The skipper kept me going this morning, when I was struggling. There’s no one better in the country to have there.” Abell was in front of Trescothick for most of the time but the captain nipped in first for the hundred. “It’s the first and last time I will be ahead of Tres,” Abell added.
Trescothick (67) and Abell (70) resumed on 147 without loss in reply to Hampshire’s 240. Trescothick got to three figures by sweeping and cutting Mason Crane for successive fours. It was his second of the season.
Abell, who had just got to 1,000 first-class career runs in his 17th match, then got his to his century by driving Crane through the covers for three. The opening stand was worth 272 when Abell was lbw to Gareth Berg, one run short of the Somerset record against Hampshire, between Peter Roebuck and Nigel Felton at this ground in 1986. Abell’s 131 took 286 minutes and there were 20 fours.
Trescothick was out for 153, losing his leg stump as he attempted to drive Fidel Edwards. He had batted for a shade over five and a half hours and hit 29 fours.
When the openers were out, Cooper stepped up the tempo against Hampshire’s demoralised bowlers, who were bowling on a flat pitch in brilliant sunshine. His century came off 103 deliveries, with 13 fours and two sweetly driven sixes.
James Hildreth then turned up the pain with 71 and Somerset, who scored 565 for five declared in their last innings here, closed on 569 for five this time. With forecasts of rain on Saturday receding, Hampshire look to have a lot of match-saving to do.
